Dems deal blow to Obama's historic trade agenda
by Ted Barrett, Deirdre Walsh and Eric Bradner, CNN -- April 22, 2015
CNN Video
Sen. Sanders talks trade deals 01:12
[...]
"On Thursday, Ranking Member Levin plans to offer a substitute, which recognizes that TPP has the potential to raise standards and open new markets for U.S. businesses, workers and farmers, and makes suggestions on how to do so," Pelosi said in a written statement. "I support the Levin substitute and thank Ranking Member Levin for his dedication to finding a path to yes, and for his leadership to increase the paychecks of American workers."
Levin released a summary of his bill earlier on Thursday and argued it gave Congress a greater role.
"TPP is too important to leave so many key issues outstanding or needing to be improved and essentially leave out a meaningful role for Congress, which is what the Hatch-Wyden-Ryan TPA bill does," Levin said. "This alternative puts the TPP negotiations on the right track, providing a path forward to an agreement that will garner broad, bipartisan support in Congress."
-- Bernie Sanders Calls Out Media For Not Covering Obama's Trade Deal -- 03/01/2015
(with Video)
Levin to Offer TPA Substitute to Put TPP on Right Track
levin.house.gov -- Apr 22, 2015
WASHINGTON – Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) plans to offer a substitute to the Hatch-Wyden-Ryan TPA bill at Thursday’s Ways and Means markup in an effort to put the Trans-Pacific Partnership on the right track. The Right Track for TPP Act of 2015, which Rep. Levin will offer as an amendment, includes specific negotiating instructions on all of the major outstanding issues and establishes a TPP Advisory Group that must certify that the President has followed the negotiating instructions and adequately consulted with Congress.
[...]
The Right Track for TPP Act:
1. Includes specific negotiating instructions on all of the major outstanding issues in the TPP negotiations.
2. Does not provide for expedited consideration unless and until bipartisan groups of House and Senate trade advisors determine that the instructions were followed.
3. Has Congress write the consultation procedures, including what negotiating texts must be shared with Congress and stakeholders.
4. Includes two useable mechanisms to enable Congress to remove expedited consideration where necessary.
Meanwhile back on the rhetorical
Just-Trust-Me Ranch ...
Obama escalates push-back against Elizabeth Warren and other trade deal critics
by Greg Sargent, washingtonpost.com -- April 24 , 2015
On a conference call with a small group of reporters, President Obama significantly intensified his criticism of Elizabeth Warren and other opponents of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, accusing them of being “dishonest” about the secrecy around the TPP process, suggesting they were playing to their “fundraising” lists, and arguing flatly that they were using “misinformation that stirs up the base but doesn’t serve them well.”
[...]
“The one that gets on my nerves the most is the notion that this is a ‘secret’ deal,” Obama said. “Every single one of the critics who I hear saying, ‘this is a secret deal,’ or send out emails to their fundraising base saying they’re working to prevent this secret deal, can walk over today and read the text of the agreement. There’s nothing secret about it.”
Yup, and there's nothing secret about the Worker Wages, that our TPP trading partners
might be expecting either ... if "
enforcement of
labor standards," ends up being the non-issue, it's supposedly cracked up to be ...
List of countries by average wage
wikipedia.org
[...]
The average wage, calculated by the International Labour Organization (ILO), a United Nations agency dealing with labour issues, particularly international labour standards and decent work for all, 185 of the 193 UN member states are members of the ILO. It's a rough figure based on data from 72 countries, omitting some of the world's poorest nations. All figures are adjusted to reflect variations in the cost of living from one country to another. According to ILO the World average wage in Purchasing Power Parity dollars is $1,480
Rank Country Monthly average wage in PPP dollars, 2009[4]
[...]
4 United States $3,263
12 Canada $2,724
14 Singapore $2,616
15 Australia $2,610
17 Japan $2,522
22 New Zealand $2,283
43 Chile $1,021
45 Malaysia $ 961
58 Mexico $ 609
71 Peru $ 268
Guess, I'll just mosey on over to the "
Public Room" -- and commit the relevant TPP text to memory,
and then transcribe it from memory, once I get home ... assuming that's if "commoner" American Citizens, are even allowed?
Afterall, I have to know what 'the Competition will be demanding', when it comes time for me to have re-do my Flat World dis-located Resume ...
larger
-- Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Countries: Comparative Trade and Economic Analysis